Wire connectors that connect two or more electrical wires together are widely known and used because of convenience and the ability to quickly form a low resistance electrical connection between two or more wires. Generally, there are two categories of wire connectors, twist-on wire connectors and non twist-on wire connectors.
Typically, a twist-on wire connector has spiral thread inside an electrically insulated housing. By inserting the ends of wires into the spiral thread and rotating the twist-on wire connector housing one can quickly bring the electrical wires into a low resistance electrical connection with each other without the aid of tools. Generally, there are two types of twist-on connectors, one, which contain no substances in the twist-on wire connector, and those that contain a substance in the twist-on wire connector. The twist-on wire connectors without any substances are advantageous when it comes to rewiring or reforming a wire connection in that they allow a user to disengage the wires in the twist-on wire connector and quickly form one or more of the wires in a fresh connection with one or more wires. On the other hand, the wires in the twist-on wire connector without a substance such as a protective sealant, if exposed to moisture, can result in a failed connection. Some twist-on wire connectors carry a sticky sealant to overcome the moisture problem but these twist-on wire connectors are generally more time consuming to use when a wire connection needs to be rewired or reformed since to reconnect wires that have been encased in a sticky sealant care must be taken to first remove the sticky sealant from the wires before a reconnection is attempted. Failure to do so can result not only in getting sticky sealant on the user but on other portions of the electrical system.
A feature of the invention is that the wire ends do not have to be wiped free if someone wants to remove the wires from the connector to test one or more of the circuits associated with the wires. This allows the wires to be reinserted after the testing complete. In some case no new gel is needed thus making the twist-on connector with the gel reusable.
Still other twist-on wire connectors contain a substance such as solidifying agent, for example an epoxy, which cures to forms a solid enclosure around the wire ends in the twist-on wire connectors. While these twist-on wire connectors provide for a solid encapsulation of the wire ends they do not allow for quick reforming or rewiring of a wire connection since the wires cannot generally be removed from the solidified epoxy in the twist-on wire connector. To rewire these type of twist-on wire connectors the wires need to be cut free of the twist-on wire connector and the wire ends then need to be stripped of insulation to expose the wire ends for forming a new wire connection. Also a time consuming process.
In regard to the category of non twist-on wire connectors gels, and other sealants have been used to cover wire connections to prevent moisture from entering the wire connector. For example, gels are used in socket type electrical connectors. Typically, to apply a gel to an electrical connector the gel is placed in a connector and squeezed or compressed around the electrical connection in order to force the gel to cover the wire ends in the electrical connector. Generally, squeezing the gel around an electrical connection is found in connectors that have two parts, one part that usually snaps into another part. This type of compression sealing around the wire ends can be found in socket type connectors that have blade like elements for engaging a wire end.
To maintain a water proof or water resistant connection in the art of twist-on wire connectors it is proposed to use a viscous sealant which remains in a sticky condition on the wire ends. The sticky sealant is first placed on the spiral threads of the twist-on wire connector. The wires are then twisted into a low resistance electrical connection in the presence of the sticky sealant, which results in forming a protective covering over the wire ends. These type of twist-on wire connectors can generally in one step form a protective covering over the wire ends that form the wire connection. However, these type of twist-on wire connectors that use a sticky sealant require cleaning of the wires each time a wire connection needs to be reformed.
The type of twist-on wire connectors where a viscous sealant covered electrical connection is formed insitu in the twist-on wire connectors are disclosed in King U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,151,239; 5,113,037; 5,023,402 and Re 37,340 which show a twist-on wire connector that allows on-the-go formation of a sealant covered electrical connection.
The Simmons U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,559 discloses another type of a wire connector using a viscous sealant and a tubular housing having a twist-on wire connector where the wires are twisted into a coil and the wires and the wire holder are forced into a sealant located at the end of the tubular housing.
In one embodiment of the socket type connectors a tubular form (shown in King U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,791) a two part connector containing a connector is made in a shoe and the shoe with the electrical connector is forced into a tubular member containing a sealant.
Other examples of non-twist-on wire connector assemblies or socket type wire connectors include the following patents which instead of using a viscous sealant disclose some type of wire connector wherein the wire connection is protected with some type of waterproof covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,737 discloses an example of a wire connector block wherein silicon gel is injected into the enclosed space of the wire connector block to provide a wire connector that is resistant to the passage of moisture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,029 discloses another example of a wire connector assembly when an uncured gel material is poured into the cavities and passageways of a socket and the uncured gel material is then cured to form a gel over the tines in the socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,606 discloses a twist-on wire connector having a heat shrinkable skirt or sleeve that is attached to the shell of the twist-on wire connector. When heat is applied to the skirt surrounding the insulation on the wires the heat shrinkable skirt is brought into shrink contact with the insulation covering on the electrical wires that extend into the twist-on wire connector. To further protect the wire connector from the ingress of moisture and debris he points out that a gel is coated on the inside of his sleeve which he states can have heat activated properties to improve the bond with the insulation on his wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,996 disclose a water proof connector wherein a block of a high-viscosity gel is compressed to fill voids or gaps between terminals, wires and partitions. The gel is used to prevent the hot-melt material from excessively entering his gaps in his terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,261 disclose an electrical connector wherein a gel material is in compressive contact with the electrical contacts with the gel encapsulating a conductive portion of the electrical contacts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,520 shows a connector for banana plugs wherein a housing is filled with an electrophoresis gel that minimize or eliminate forces being transmitted back to his housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,100 disclose a transmission wire having a wire connector wherein a gel is placed around a contact member that is brought into contact with a live connector with the contact member positioned so that removal of the probe allows the contact member to return to its normal position in the presence of the self healing gel.
RE35,476 disclose a connector block for connecting drop wires to conducts of a multi-conductor cable wherein the wire support region is filed with a sealing gel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,779 discloses a waterproof wire enclosure wherein a twist-on wire connector where the spliced connection is inserted into a capsule or cylinder where it is covered with a waterproofing compound, while he points out can be a gel or grease.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,111 discloses gel sealing materials for use in the back of automotive connectors for use in connectors which he states “exert a pressure on the gel greater than 5 psi, preferably greater then about 15 psi, and most preferably greater then about 25 psi.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,286 disclose a wire connector wherein the solder is replaced with a conductive gel with a heat shrink sleeve to prevent the conductor from being withdrawn from the sleeve.
Although the art is replete with wire connectors that are covered with a waterproof sealant and the use of a gel that is squeezed or compressed about an electrical connection the art has not recognized the benefit of use of a free standing or unsqueezed mass of a cohering gel or a mass of a self adhereable gel in a gel state the internal spiral thread of a twist-on wire connector wherein the wires are quickly brought into low resistance electrical contact with each other in the presence of the gel and the gel is allowed to self heal to form a protective covering over the wire ends in the twist-on wire connector. It has been found that since the wires in the twist-on wire connector form frictional and interlocking engagement with the spiral thread a free standing mass of cohering gel which adheres to the wire ends can remain in place to provide a protective covering without having to squeeze or compressively retain the gel in the twist-on wire connector. More significantly, it has been discovered that the use of a free standing mass of a cohering gel, which is neither a solid nor separable like sticky sealants but remains in a gel state, in a twist-on wire connector still allows one to quickly and efficiently encase a wire connection in a water resistant covering while also providing the advantage of allowing the gel covering to be quickly removed from the wire ends by hand peeling or hand stripping of the gel since the gel generally adheres to itself stronger than too the wire ends. It is pointed out that by free standing gel it is meant that the gel retains itself in the wire connector without the need of a compression housing around the gel.